2024 Field Scholars and Senior Leadership Awards Announced
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The College of Humanities & Fine Arts has announced the 2024 winners of the Senior Leadership Award and Field Scholars.
Senior Leadership Award
Presented to graduating seniors in each college, the Senior Leadership Award, a $500 prize, recognizes students who have distinguished themselves through outstanding leadership and service to the community.
This year's HFA Senior Leadership awardee is music education major Zoë Cohen. Cohen served as drum major of the Minuteman Marching Band for all four years, a first for director Tim Anderson. Her leadership of the 360-member band is characterized by her dedication to service, quiet confidence, faith in her abilities, exceptional musicianship as a conductor, and organizational skills. There are many tasks that fall to the Drum Majors from organizing small groups for university events, warming up the band and teaching marching fundamentals, or figuring out logistics for a football game day.
Cohen conducted one of the band’s toughest selections of the year, music from West Side Story. She has pursued conducting at the graduate level, gave a conducting recital as an undergraduate, and is an assistant conductor at Smith College. According to Tim Anderson, MMMB director, "The band succeeds when the person in front of them inspires them with confidence. . . [Zoë] is one of the finest student leaders I’ve worked with in 27 years of music education."
William F. Field Alumni Scholars
The William F. Field Alumni Scholars, each of whom is awarded $750, recognizes juniors for outstanding academic achievement, as well as their respective contributions to the arts, athletics, research, or service to the campus community.
Zac Brennan, Music Composition, is a highly motivated and creative student, completing as a junior 151 credits with a near-perfect GPA including several graduate level music theory and music history seminars. He is an accomplished string bassist, performing with the UMass Symphony Orchestra, string chamber ensembles, and jazz ensembles. He plays for the Vocal Jazz Techniques class and regularly conducts the Amherst (College) Symphony Orchestra in addition to playing gigs throughout Western Mass on both acoustic and electric bass. Zac is also a member of Commonwealth Honors College.
Kayla Sit, Architecture, is known as an outstanding student who pushes the limits of design excellence, exceptionally engaged, and a leader. She directs the Freedom by Design effort in which students build accessibility ramps for local families. She is also active in the American Institute of Architecture Students and the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students.